The company, which was co-founded by space engineers Flavia Tata Nardini and Dr Matthew Tetlow and serial entrepreneur Matt Pearson in 2015, is aiming to enable the Internet of Things revolution by building the infrastructure to connect billions of sensors and low-bandwidth devices to the internet.

Fleet is planing to launch its first nano-satellite in 2018 and has already signed up pilot partners in Australia, South America, Europe and the US.

It is targeting the transport, oil and gas, mining and agriculture sectors – industries that often involve working in remote locations where connectivity is limited.

Ms Tata Nardini said the company would be launching at least 100 nano-satellites between 2018 and late 2020, forming a constellation that will provide free low-bandwidth internet connectivity for IoT devices in remote areas of Africa, parts of Asia, South America, Australia and other unconnected regions.

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"Finding pilot partners has been quite easy. These industries know they have to improve their efficiency and to do that they have deployed [internet-connected] sensors, but they still need to connect them," she said.

"So we're in an interesting enabling phase. We're aiming to deploy the entire constellation within the next four years, which is the window in which these industries will change, so we can't miss this window."

Changing environment

Ms Tata Nardini was born and raised in Italy and worked as a space engineer for the European Space Agency, before immigrating in 2012 to live in Adelaide with her Australian husband.

Mike Cannon-Brookes said Fleet was answering one of society's most pressing problems.
Louie Douvis

When she first arrived in the country and tried to get a business off the ground, she was dismayed by the lack of support from government and investors for riskier high-tech ventures, but she said that was starting to change.

Ms Tata Nardini also urged the government to consider creating an Australian space agency, which would help foster innovation in space engineering.

Blackbird Ventures led the $5 million capital raise into Fleet, with Blackbird managing director Niki Scevak joining the board. The round also had participation from Earth Space Robotics.

Mr Scevak said the Fleet team had the credentials to make their vision a reality.

"Space was traditionally the province of governments but now start-ups can solve our largest problems through satellites and rockets because it's so cheap and accessible," he said.

Solving the big problems

Mr Cannon-Brookes said Fleet was answering one of society's most pressing problems – how to bring all the devices that have been created together to work as one.

"They're rare, but every so often an idea cross your path that really gets the adrenaline pumping," he said.

"Once live, Fleet will solve an innumerable amount of the world's problems as it enables the potential of technology to be turned on."

Fleet's nano-satellites are similar to those being launched by ASX-listed Israeli business Sky and Space Global. The major difference between the two is that Sky and Space Global is targeting the 4 billion people who still do not have mobile connectivity, while Fleet is pursuing the business market.

But Ms Tata Nardini said Sky and Space Global's capital raising success had paved the way for others like Fleet to follow in its footsteps.

"Sky and Space Global's capital raises have given nano-satellites a lot of credibility," she said.

"Our goal is for industries to use this technology to make real, tangible efficiency improvements to the ways they operate and address issues; be it measuring the effect of climate change on outer corners the great barrier reef, or tracking important cargo like aid as it journeys across the Indian Ocean."

If the deployment of Fleet's first 100 satellites are successful, the business will consider expanding its constellation to also cover developed areas such as Europe.